Aegina's story
by Acantha Everdeen
Summary: Aegina is a naiad, a water spirit residing in a lake near Mount Olympus. She does not meet mortals often, nor does she want to, that is until she meets Actor, a hunter who strays too far from home.


I was never supposed to choose one of them. Never supposed to so much as look at one, hold one, touch one. Those rules had always made sense to me, it would be cruel to let yourself love someone you could never have, someone you would never truly belong with, someone who would die, and leave you with nothing but the sting of their loss for the rest of eternity. But that was before Actor.

It all started one hot July morning. The sun rose two fingers over the horizon, blasting the sky in a sea of pink and yellows, turning the lake into a cool, crystal blue. I live in lake Evergreen, just below Mount Olympus, so as you can imagine the naiads that live here get visited by the gods even more often than everywhere else. I confess that I do enjoy getting chased by the occasional deity, it gives my everlasting life a flare of amusement, but I have never, in my short 17 years, let myself get caught by one. I have heard tales of what happens to the young, pretty girls who are visited by the gods, and I do not intend on ending up with a swollen belly any time soon.

But that morning, the land was so achingly beautiful that I felt myself rise tentatively from the dark depths of the water to meet the shimmering surface, aching to feel the sun kiss my naked body. I wondered what it would feel like to dance with your lover in this glorious sunlight, and when the day grew dark and cold, to whisper stories and gossip to your friends around a campfire. All those wonderfully simple things humans enjoy and don't even realize how lucky they are to be able to experience them.

I hauled myself out of the water, lay down on the soft green grass and shut my eyes. As I listened to the singing of nightingales and the sighing of the wind through the leaves of the canopy that arched above me, I longed, not for the first time, to be a mortal woman. What would it be like to grow old with a handsome husband who loves you, surrounded by small, fragile children who look up to you with all the world's innocence in their eyes?

I shoved the thought out of my head as fast as it came. My father, the river god Asopus, could protect me so long as I stayed near my lake; but beyond that I was on my own, vulnerable to disease, assault, the prying eyes of the gods. So for now, I will stay here, and enjoy only the company of my sisters and the occasional visit from…

"Who are you?" I leaped to my feet and turned around to find myself face to face with a young man. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a sweep of boyish, tousled black hair that curled endearingly around his ears and swept the collar of his shirt. His eyes were a striking green colour, like mine, only his were sunlight dancing on the sea while mine were the proud, immortal pine needles. He was pretty cute, I admit, for a mortal. And he was clearly mortal. No god would speak to me with such awe on his face, as if he were prepared right then and there to build a shrine at my feet. I lifted my chin a little, enjoying the way his jaw dropped slightly at my nakedness. I didn't move to cover myself, only mortal women bothered with such modesties.

"My mother named me Aegina" I said, hoping my voice did not betray the shock I felt at seeing a mortal. And a man at that! I'd seen the occasional maid come to our lake to fill a pail of water, usually slaves from distant lands who didn't know better than to stray too far from their masters. But a mortal man was a rare sight around these parts.

"I am Actor" He responded, blushing slightly as his gaze flickered to my chest, then found my eyes again. I had the strange urge to reach up and brush my fingers through his coal black hair. I wondered if it would feel strong and coarse or fine and silky, like a child's hair. I stood there for a moment, then asked with as much pride as one would expect from an immortal, even though I was seventeen:

"What is a mortal man doing in these parts? The woods here a far from any village"

"I was hunting in the woods. My village suffered a famine this year, so all the young, healthy men were sent out to look for food wherever it could be found". I noticed then that a bow was slung over his shoulder, and the handle of a knife peeked out of his muddy black boots. "Then I… I saw you come out of the lake. I've never seen blonde hair before" he added shyly. I subconsciously hooked a stray lock of hair behind my ears at that comment. It was true that in Greece most people, even the immortals have black or dark brown hair. "I felt drawn to your beauty, and I… I can see that you have a way of thinking that is different from mortal women" I felt enormously flattered by this. "And I like the colour of your eyes, the way they go from pine green in the shade to emerald as the light filters through them". He stopped then, a rueful smile tugging at his full, delicate lips. "Forgive me my lady, my tongue has a way of running away from me". I decided then that I wanted to hear him call my lady at least once a day. It made me feel precious, and delicate.

"Oh no please, do go on. It is not often that I meet such charming young men". Encouraged by this, he took a step forward, his smile broadening. I felt the beginning of a smile playing on my own lips, and schooled my features into neutrality. I didn't want him to think I liked him just yet, I wanted to hear more. No one had ever called me beautiful before. I knew that I wasn't ugly, but I also knew that I wasn't half as pretty as some of my sisters. and it felt nice to be complemented, noticed.

"It would please me very much to get to know milady better". This time, I really did smile. I felt the irresistible urge to reach up and touch him. So I raised my finger to his cheek and stroked the soft, olive skin there, tracing the curve of his cheekbone until finally I found my way to his beautifully curved rosebud lips. It came over me suddenly. A feeling so urgent and overwhelming and impossible to resist that I just went for it, and kissed him. He leaned in then, and grasped my waist with his gloved hands. I knew he wanted more, perhaps he had done more with other women. Probably lots of women considering the way he looked; but right then, everything was so perfect that I worried taking things further would ruin it. Besides, I had enough wit about me at the time to know how these stories usually ended, and I had to be cautious. So I drew back from him, pried his hands from my waist, looked into his eyes and said

"I want to get to know you too". Then I flew back towards the lake and plunged in, sinking like a stone to the bottom.


End file.
